Four Years Probation for Grand Larceny

A Centreville man received a suspended prison sentence and four years probation last week for a grand-larceny conviction in Loudoun County. He is Andrew Choi, 28, of 5354 Sammie Kay Lane.

He was arrested last fall and charged with stealing computer hardware from a Sterling electronics store. Investigator David C. Orr of the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office presented details of the case against him in a Sept. 22, 2006 affidavit for a warrant to search Choi's home.

He wrote that Choi was apprehended that day in Sterling after "making fraudulent returns to the service desk at the Best Buy" there. Authorities charged Choi with one count each of grand larceny and obtaining money by false pretenses.

"While being interviewed by the manager, he admitted to having other stolen items in his room [at home]," wrote Orr. "He admitted to having in his possession one internal hard drive, two 500 GB hard drives, two 7900 video cards and one 7600 video card."

The investigator noted, as well, that Choi "admitted to taking the above listed items from the Best Buy in Sterling." Orr and other officers later went to Choi's home and seized one internal hard drive, three external hard drives, four graphics cards and two push-button backups.

On Jan. 4 in Loudoun County General District Court, the charge of obtaining money by false pretenses was dropped. However, the grand jury indicted Choi on the grand-larceny offense on Feb. 12.

The Centreville man stood trial March 26, and was found guilty of that crime. He returned to Loudoun Circuit Court, last Monday, July 2, for sentencing.

Judge Burke McCahill gave Choi two years in prison, suspending all that time, and placed him on four years supervised probation. He also ordered Choi to pay $825 in court costs.